June 4, 2012

Summer is approaching at warp speed and I'm not complaining. Otis and Lilah have begun a pre-summer ritual of running around the backyard with our neighbors Aidan and Emmett every evening. I feel like I'm channeling my own mom and generations of parents as I call the kids in after the sun has nearly set. When they tromp upstairs for bed, they are breathing hard and falling-down tired just as kids should at the end of a full day.

After dinner recently, all fours kids kept coming into the kitchen mumbling things like "I'm still hungry." I suggested making popsicles together. "Yes" they all chimed in. So I put the kiddos to work squeezing lemons, washing berries, tasting everything as they went, and making a good sticky mess of the kitchen.

I love to see the satisfaction kids take in their own kitchen creations. Who need store-bought pops when making your own is this simple, healthy and fun!

Place all ingredients (including the water) in a blender and mix well. If you aren't patient enough to make popsicles, you could go ahead and drink the strawberry lemonade you just made. Otherwise, fill a popsicle mold with the liquid and freeze until solid.

Enjoy on a long summer evening!

A Summer note: We are packing our bags to hit the road for a month this summer. Get ready for travel photos and recipes soon! xxoo

Aww, yummy:) I keep telling myself I need to buy some popsicle molds, but I just haven't gotten around to it.

Making 'popsicles' is like my one kitchen memory from when I was young, except I would just mix together everything liquid that I could find and pour it into plastic molds that my model horses came in.

My mom loves telling me how funny it is that I love to cook and bake, given that I "never had any interest in the kitchen" when I was young. But where was she when my popsicle misadventures were going down? Never steering me towards anything delicious, that's for sure! Good for you;)

Emma, I was a big popsicle girl too. We would usually just poor jarred juice into the mold. Orange never was too good, and I vividly remember a batch of slightly fermented apple juice popsicles that we swore( as 7 year olds) tasted like "beer." We loved the scandal of it all.

You may have rocked some odd concoctions as a kid, but look at you now! All yumminess. xxoo

I remember making popsicles all the time with my mom growing up! Yumm strawberry lemonade sounds perfect for the summer! Thanks for your sweet comment earlier, I really appreciate it. Have a nice week!

Thanks for the mold link. I am excited to make these. I just remembered I promised you my Almond Cake recipe last time I saw you at thousands oaks. Here it is:

Lemon Almond Cake

The great thing about this cake is it is gluten free. I have a few friends who cannot eat gluten, so this cake is always a special treat for them. The batter makes great cupcakes too. Just watch the cooking time on the cupcakes. It is much less. We serve it with fresh berries and whipped cream or eat alone as a snack.

Preheat oven to 350º. Measure out almond flour, sugar and baking powder, and put in a medium bowl. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, and then add to dry ingredients. Add lemon olive oil and mix all ingredients thoroughly. Spray nonstick baking spray in a 8 inch cake pan (with a removable base preferably). Bake for about one hour. Test with a wooden skewer to see if cake is done. Cool cake in the pan before turning out. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve with fresh fruit and whipping cream.

Tip: This cake is very forgiving and adaptable. I will use plain olive oil when I do not have the lemon olive oil on hand. I just add a little more zest or not. I have used orange in place of lemon. I once used Orange Blossom water (1 t) and orange zest. I use Bob’s Red Mill Finely Ground Almond Meal/Flour, available at most stores.

Jennifer, what a treat to see you here and your recipe looks awesome! You must have read my mind, just yesterday I was saying to Paul that I really need to make a good moist almond cake and here you are:) Thank you!I hope you and your family are well. xxxxxoooo

Oh, how fun Erin...even my big kids would love a popsicle in this heat. Drat the heat! I'm coping...but not too well. O.K., about that month away for you guys...might it have something to do with Ireland??? BTW...if you think your spot you stayed in Istanbul was worth passing on...would you send me a link? I'm trying hard to think of a way to get us there!

M, even us grown ups shouldn't feel shy about popsicles, right? I've also been thinking about boozy pops for adults:)I hope you are well! We should try to grab a cup of coffee sometime. It would be fun to actually meet.xoE

Thanks Emma! I so clearly remember reading your blog when we were in deep winter and you guys were all sunny. Now the roles have reversed:) I hope a nice wet winter is good for all of the yummy plants.xxooE

Oh I remember those days of spending an entire day running around with the neighbors, and falling into bed dead tired. How I dream of warm summer days and popsicles. We're getting ready for a 2-week trip to Sicily, but I wish it was a month! Can't wait to hear about your adventures. xo